How to Download a Podcast Onto the iPod Nano

by Kefa Olang, Demand Media

Podcasts are entertaining shows you can enjoy alongside your music files.

Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images

ITunes has a large library of podcasts grouped in episodes you can download to your iPod Nano. Podcasts generally follow a radio-show format and come in a variety of genres. When you download podcasts to your iTunes library, you can upload them to your iPod Nano in a variety of ways depending on your preference. Whether you're doing this manually or automatically, downloading your favorite podcasts to your iPod Nano allows you to enjoy your favorite shows wherever you go.

Syncing Podcasts Automatically

Step 1

Launch iTunes. If a message pops up instructing you to install the latest version, do so.

Step 2

Connect your iPod Nano to your computer using the USB cable, then click your iPod in the Devices section in iTunes.

Click the "Podcasts" tab. Click the "Sync Podcasts" check box, then select the podcasts you want to upload to your iPod Nano.

Step 4

Click "Apply" to start the synchronization process. Do not disconnect your iPod during this process. When the "iPod sync is complete" message appears on the LCD display in iTunes, disconnect your iPod.

Manually Syncing Podcasts

Step 1

Launch iTunes. If a message pops up instructing you to install the latest version, do so.

Step 2

Connect your iPod Nano to your computer using the USB cable, then click your iPod in the Devices section in iTunes.

Step 3

Click the "Summary" tab in the main iTunes browser window, then select the "Manually manage music and videos" check box. Click "Apply."

Step 4

Click the "Podcasts" option under Library to view podcasts uploaded to the iTunes library.

Step 5

Select the podcasts you want to upload to your iPod. To choose multiple podcasts, press and hold the "Ctrl" (Windows) or "Command" (Mac) button while clicking the files you want to download to your iPod.

Step 6

Drag the selected podcasts to your iPod Nano in the Devices section in iTunes. If the podcasts are organized in playlists, drag the custom playlists from the Playlists section to your iPod in the Devices section.

Step 7

Right-click your iPod Nano under Devices and click "Eject" to disconnect the player.

Syncing Podcasts Using Autofill

Step 1

Click your iPod Nano in the Devices section in iTunes.

Step 2

Click "Summary" and verify the "Manually manage music and videos" option is selected.

Step 3

Click the drop-down arrow next to your iPod Nano under Devices to reveal the contents of the device.

Tip

To search for and download new podcasts, click the iTunes Store, then click "Podcasts."

Warning

Your iPod Nano needs to have sufficient disk space to sync one or more podcasts. When you connect your iPod Nano to the computer, iTunes displays the Capacity bar on the bottom of the screen. Use the Capacity bar to determine how much free space you have available.

About the Author

Kefa Olang has been writing articles online since April 2009. He has been published in the "Celebration of Young Poets" and has an associate degree in communication and media arts from Dutchess Community College, and a bachelor's degree in broadcasting and mass communication from the State University of New York, Oswego.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Small Business editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.